Realities
by sunoa
Summary: The people of Auradon have to face the consequences of their actions. After all, who could have guessed that leaving vulnerable kids to be raised by villians known for cruelty, insanity and heartlessness could end badly?
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, during a time of supposed fear and uncertainty, the United Kingdom of Auradon banished all villains to a specially built prison, an island that none could escape from. The Isle of the Lost, as it was called, held all manners of people, from the big bad villains to minions and assistants, inside it's magical dome. This dome kept out the abundant magic and any signals from rapidly advancing technology, leaving them reliant on their own skills, which many had very few of.

Perhaps to the people of Auradon it was a perfect solution. Imprisoning the villains as punishment for their crimes, no guilt from an execution and with the bonus of keeping them safe and carefree and good. Or maybe they just didn't care enough to think of any potential difficulties of the situation. Who really cares about what happens to such bad people?

As the years passed, they slowly forgot what the fuss was ever about. The Island was working fine, Auradon was safe and doing extremely well, and nothing seemed to be wrong in the world. In a place of constant good weather, abundance of food and wealth, and true love it really must have seemed like it. Eventually it had been twenty years since the villains had been banished, and King Beasts declaration of eternal exile was holding strong, despite the kids that had been born on the Island.

It was pure chance that there existed a boy with enough care in his heart to be concerned about the kids, who grew up in a prison because of their parents faults. The fact that he was the son of Belle and Beast who had taught him about second chances was quite lucky for those kids. It was also advantageous that he was one of the few people able to actually do anything, what with him being the future king.

Ben looked out the window, observing Island and strengthening his resolve. It will be difficult, and might end badly, but no one said doing the right thing was easy. Even a quick glance at the infamous Isle of the Lost could tell you that it probably isn't the most pleasant place to grow up, what with it being a prison to all of the worst people in the land.

Despite what he may assume, the soon-to-be king wasn't aware of just how terrible The Isle of the Lost truly was. Sure, it was filled with terrible people who had terrible kids together, but that is only the beginning of the kids stories. Perhaps, in his efforts to help, he would begin to discover the amount of damage his people had put them through and try to change his kingdom for the better, or maybe he'll believe his own people first, believe in the righteousness of Auradon.

Either way the story goes, there are four kids stuck in the middle of it, and maybe, just for once, they'll decide the way the story will be written.

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 **Disclaimer: I don't own Descendants or the book it was based on.**

 **So this fic is going to be my attempt at taking a deeper and more serious look into how things could have worked on the Isle, and how the VKs are affected by their childhoods on the Island. Carlos is my favorite character, and so I'll probably focus on him a decent amount, but I still love the others and will try to make sure they're all covered equally.**

 **Sorry the first chapter is so short! The other will be longer, I swear. I would love to hear any tips or criticism, since I don't write much, and I really need the help!**


	2. Chapter 2

Getting into the back of the car that came to bring them to Auradon was one of the most terrifying things Carlos has ever done. It meant going against his mothers wishes, and his mother wasn't the nicest when she was angry. Add in the well known insanity, and Cruella de Vil could be one of the scariest things on the Island, at least for Carlos.

He wasn't even sure he wanted to leave. Sure, the Island is terrible, but it is also the only thing that Carlos has ever known. He understands the hunger, the fear and pain, the constant wariness, since nowhere is completely safe. The streets may as well be imprinted in his brain for how well he knows them, knows where to hide when he needs to be invisible and where to avoid at all costs. Even the people, as unpleasant as they are, are a known factor, familiar. He knows who he can steal from, who is part of which gang, and who can get him what he needs, for a high price of course.

Now, he's heading into unknown territory, where the rules are completely different and the people unpredictable, all on the orders of Mal, the daughter of Maleficent. It was her mother that had the plot to free the villains and rule Auradon, but Maleficent wasn't what she used to be. Without the magic she relied upon for so long, she was just a short woman with few physical strengths, but an intelligent and evil mind. She got by on her reputation as the biggest evil out there, and managed to keep her many minions in line through fear.

Carlos was, at least by his own estimation, one of the most intelligent people on the Island. After all, punching a hole in the dome was an accomplishment no one else could claim. Avoiding Maleficent and her minions would be difficult, but possible and in many ways better than leaving the Island entirely. Mal was the leader of their gang though, and with all the pressure her mother was putting on her, and the situations they were all in on the Island, he can see why she decided to go ahead with the plan. Once that happened, it was inevitable that they were all going. He just found it rather curious that they were the ones, out of the many other kids of the Island, that were chosen.

At least having Jay sitting beside him meant that his despair was promptly dealt with by a light punch to the shoulder. He laughed, and carefully covered up a wince. His shoulder wasn't injured but Cruella had given him even more chores the day before and it seemed to have caught up with him.

He quickly noticed what looked like food in a section of the car, signaling the others. "Are we allowed to eat those?" He asked nervously, pointing at the dishes and bowls. Taking food was always a thing to be wary of, especially if it was offered or left out with seemingly no one in sight. There are those who take to finding their prey that way, hunting down the inattentive and oblivious.

"Probably." Jay was already grabbing some, carefully tasting them before giving them the go ahead. "Hey, these are good!"

Jay was physically the largest and strongest of the group, and was often delegated to a protecting role, especially with Evie. With her upbringing in a castle, she didn't learn certain skills that most Island kids learn. She managed fine without them, but in certain situation like fights, she had to let her friends handle it. She was getting better at patching them up in the aftermath, her stitches were always perfect.

Right now, she was checking her makeup in a mirror, the real Magic Mirror, if Carlos wasn't mistaken. It was something she did many times a day, so it wasn't an unusual sight. Therefore, Carlos quickly moved on and grabbed some of the food, stuffing some in his pockets and some in his mouth. "Oh!" He said, shocked at the taste. It had to be the nicest thing he had ever eaten. It was salty and sweet, and completely perfect in his opinion. It didn't even taste old.

Evie had grabbed something as well, but Mal had yet to even hide anything away. It was fine anyway, since Carlos tended to have the most pockets and he was filling them with as much food as possible without making it look too obvious, and Jay beside him was doing the same.

He wanted to question the others, ask what the plan was, what they were going to do when things inevitably didn't work out, but he restrained himself. There was an Auradon citizen driving the car, and they couldn't take any chance that what they said would have them in some kind of trouble. They didn't even know how to seem like an average Auradon teen, since he's pretty sure they wouldn't talk about gang wars and robberies, which is a big topic of conversation the Island. So, they mainly stay silent.

He quickly finished storing the food he had collected, making sure it was secure, and then counting it to the best of his ability. This could last them a while, he thought to himself, quickly doing some calculations in his head before tuning back into the present at Evie's shout.

"Look!" She cried, her face painting a picture of terror.

He tried to figure out what was happening. Mal had a remote that had lowered the screen separating them from the front of the car, and Evie had seen something she was obviously not expecting to see. The panic in her voice had him quickly turning to see what was wrong, and when he did, he felt pure fear. The car was heading toward the end of a bridge, metal that once held up the weight now bent and broken.

"It's a trap!" He yelled, quickly thinking through their odds of survival while huddling up to the others. Jays arm around him, holding him as close as possible, barely relieved fear the way it usually did. Then again, there was no chance of surviving this. Or so he thought.

A bright golden light lit up the windows, before fading. The most surprising part of this, was that they were not falling to the deaths, and instead still driving. Carlos looked out the back window, seeing the trail of shimmering gold attached to the end of the bridge.

"What just happened?" He questioned, leaving his position under Jays arm. He looked around at the others, trying to see if anyone had a better understanding of the situation than himself. Everyone but Evie just looked extremely shocked, and so he waited for her response.

"It must be magic." She said, her expression displaying her delight. Not that he can blame her, magic is very fascinating and seeing it for the first time is amazing, but he thinks he'll stick to science and technology.

"Hey," Mal turned to the driver, tapping the remote against the opening. "Did this little button just open up the magic barrier?" Carlos was pretty sure it didn't, since that seemed like a bad thing to leave in unknown teenagers hands, but who knew. Maybe people in Auradon just didn't have common sense. After all, didn't some princess marry a prince who made out with what he had thought was her dead body?

The drivers response had him rather amused. It seemed Mal was too. Maybe some verbal battles weren't completely off the table as he had expected. That was good, since they all enjoyed talking circles around people. Maybe some different reactions will liven it up.

It was still a decently long drive once they reached land once more. They didn't speak much, attempting to suppress the nerves they were all feeling. Even though Carlos had been the one most against going, they all had some concerns. For Jay it was finding things to steal, for Evie it was finding a prince to marry, for Mal it was trying to lead them safely, and for Carlos it was building all the things he never had parts for and surviving as best as he could. They were all under a lot of pressure.

Which was why pulling up to what he assumes must be the school they were going to nearly made them crack. There were people waving flags and signs, and even a band playing some pretty terrible music in front of the building. Once they got out of the care they would be surrounded on all sides by unknowns, four against what looked to be at least forty people. He quickly looked at the others and tried to calm himself, seeing his friends do the same. He had to appear unafraid, willing to change.

He still wishes he hadn't come, though at least he was with his friends. Maybe he had a chance of surviving this with them. When he sees the driver climb out of the car, he knows they'll have to leave the place of relative safety the car provides and face the masses of people waiting for them. Then the door is pulled open, and they start to climb out into the blinding sun.

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 **Wow, I really need to practice writing conversation! Sorry about that. I'm posting this so close to the first chapter to make up for it's short length, the others won't be as quick. Anyway, this chapter focuses on Carlos, and the next will be in another persons POV. I'm trying to hint at bad things, without going into too much detail, like child abuse and starvation.**

 **I welcome all tips and criticism!**


	3. Chapter 3

Mal was last to leave the car, watching her friends backs as they exited. Eventually her turn came and she gracefully climbed out, where she was promptly blinded by the sun. It wasn't that much of a surprise, really. The Island is constantly covered in clouds, meaning it's never very bright to begin with. Add to the the dark alleyways and narrow streets that cover the land, and your eyes get used to the low light. Which meant that it took her far too long to recover than she was comfortable with, especially with so many people around her.

When she could finally see she immediately checked on her friends. She was often the main fighter of the group, thanks to her love of the chaos and power, so she took her place slightly in front of them. Jay was behind her on her left side, ready to provide backup and let the other two escape. Evie was carefully positioned in the center of them all, and Carlos had a clear path to the car in case they needed to run. After all, the only car on the Isle belonged to Cruella, and Carlos had to keep it running. He'd figured out how to drive one a long time ago.

She dragged her attention to the people in front of her, not that it ever was fully off of them, she doesn't have a death wish. The three people standing in the front seemed to be the most important, so she focused on them. They were all wearing the weirdest outfits she had ever seen. They were made out of thin fabrics that offered no protection, and seemed to be at least restrictive. Judging by the looks on their faces, unconcerned smiles, they were either faking it, or really as stupid as she had hoped. Which was good for them, since if she had to tear the country and all the people in it apart to keep her friends safe, she would, with no regret.

The woman in the middle took a step forward, and Mal made sure her back was straight, shoulders back, with no emotion showing on her face. She'll figure out what type of character to play once they know the place a bit if it becomes necessary. For now, no emotions work better than the disgust and pure confusion she feels looking at them.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep." The woman said. And what a warm welcome it is, Mal thought, looking at the teenagers gawking at them from the corner of her eye.

"I'm Fairy Godmother." she says, introducing herself with a ridiculous little curtsy. Oh wow, what are the chances of that happening? Mal hadn't thought she'd be faced by on of the big shots of Auradon so soon. Maybe they'd be threatened to stay in line? It's the only reason she could think of, but it didn't really fit the expressions on their faces. She hadn't forgotten about the two teens beside the woman, but magical fairies take precedence in this situation.

"The Fairy Godmother?" She asked. "As in bibbidi-bobbidi-boo?" The woman's confirmation was irritating, or at least the manner in which it was given was, but she stayed calm. Angering someone at this point would only get them sent straight back to the Isle and she wasn't about to let that happen. Condescension was irritating, but the Isle was deadly.

They didn't say much, nerves having worn down what little energy they had, and still quite on edge, since many of the onlookers had yet to leave. Jay was a flirt, though not in any meaningful way. They were pretty sure he just used it to get closer to people, so he can take their things that much easier. He gave a hollow compliment to the girl once Fairy Godmother had stopped speaking, which didn't go down too well. Mal didn't really know why, saying a girl had strong looking arms on the Isle could probably get you at least a smile, though one that looked a lot more like a baring of teeth than what the girl had been doing so far. To be honest, the girl actually looked like she had no muscle at all, so he was being far too nice.

The boy seemed to realize that things were about to take a bad turn and quickly stepped in. "It's so good to finally meet you all." He said, stepping forward with a smile. "I'm Ben."

The girl quickly butted in. "Prince Benjamin," she said, looking far too happy about correcting someone. "Soon-to-be King!"

That statement concerned Mal, and not just because Jay and Carlos had to surreptitiously tug Evie back in to position. The soon-to-be King, the one who brought them here and the one who could just as easily send them back. There were several plans already half formed in her head when the Prince spoke once more.

"This is Audrey." He gestured at the girl, who once more just had to make her opinion known.

"Princess Audrey," She corrected, looking sharply at them, and grabbing his hand. "His girlfriend." Mal could practically feel Evies disappointment from where she was standing. The Prince seemed to feel the tension in the air, and gave a nervous laugh, looking at his girlfriend. "Right Benny-boo?"

Mal almost laughed at the scene. Audrey was definitely going to be annoying to deal with, but they could put up with insults, and judging from her arms, and all the skin she had showing, she's never been in a proper fight before. They wouldn't have any issues dealing with her.

Fairy Godmother seemed to decide that hand holding was just too much for her and started speaking again. "Ben and Audrey are going to show you all around, and I'll see you tomorrow." Mal was glad introductions were almost done, since her friends were exhausted. Not that they would let it show of course, but hopefully they'd be in a place of enough safety to be able to relax soon. They needed to discuss plans, and Mal needed to check that her friends were okay.

Fairy Godmothers exclamation of "The doors of wisdom are never shut!" almost made Mal jump, and definitely made at least Carlos flinch back a bit. She quickly looked at the people in front of her to ensure they hadn't caught it. Don't want to be sent to the madhouse Cruella told Carlos about. Fairy Godmother continued on without pause, telling them rules that sounded so weird to Mal. She didn't actually know what a curfew was, but let it go. They weren't going to be following a lot of the rules either way.

At last, as she walked away, the large band trailed after her, leaving Mal far calmer. The Prince strolled up in front of them, and just smiled at them for a few seconds. If she hadn't known she could take him down in less than five seconds, she might be a bit freaked out. At least it looks nothing like the Muffin Man's smile. She really didn't need the nightmares.

He finally walked forward, speaking while he went. "It is so, so, so good to finally me-et you." He stumbled in the middle thanks to light the punch Jay gave to his shoulder. It was a common way of greeting those you were decently friendly with, or at least not about to fight, on the Island. Judging by his wary smile, it wasn't so common here. He moved onto her next, grabbing her hand in a handshake, and then just staring at her for a few seconds, before finally releasing. It was good that he did, since Jay was getting ready to make him let go, which probably wouldn't end well. She was actually kind of sad it didn't happen, the chaos it would cause would be hilarious.

Mal honestly almost rolled her eyes when he started a dramatic speech. 'Momentous occasion' aside she really wished she knew why he thought that bringing four random kids that they abandoned to Auradon would begin to heal anything. It was their fault in the first place, what do they need to heal? She kept an eye on him as he shook hand with Evie and Carlos, to make sure they were safe.

Once he was done, she had a snarky reply ready and waiting. They were all trying to act as normal as possible, but it was difficult. She could see Jay straightening up sharply, after having slowly slouched from exhaustion. Evie was a bag of nerves, and couldn't stop staring at the Prince. Carlos was shifting his weight from foot to foot, his eyes glancing around rapidly. Mal herself wasn't too bad, though she was pretty sure that was thanks to the magic that she now has. She had been far too terrified on the car to even think about it, but now all she can feel is mischievous glee. She couldn't wait to tell the other, just not in front of anyone from Auradon. Can't show any aces up your sleeve if you want to survive.

"So much for my first impression." The Prince said. She did laugh a bit, because despite his whole goodness thing, he didn't seem that bad. She was still wary though, since he could always just be a good actor, and they're not going to get a second chance here if they mess up. After all, it's only heroes that get second chances.

That was why she almost groaned when Audrey stepped up, yet again. Mal is beginning to think that she has something wrong with her at this point. She is also very possessive of her boyfriend if a shared laugh sets her off.

"Hey, you're Maleficents daughter aren't you?" Her voice was full of faked positivity, and Mal almost rolled her eyes at the rather obvious comment. No, Maleficent's daughter is Evie, and Mal just happens to have an oddly similar name.

"Yeah, you know what? I totally do not blame you for your mother trying to kill my parents and stuff." Wow, she really went there. Over a bit of jealousy. She's actually kind of impressed, or she would be if she didn't want to fight her so much. Audrey might even fit in on the Island, what with how little provocation she needs to try tear someone down. The Prince was looking quite awkward, not knowing exactly what he should be doing.

"Oh, my mom's Aurora, Sleeping-" And Mal couldn't help but cut in. "Beauty! Yeah, I've heard the name." An understatement really. With her mothers power gone, all she got was stories of her golden years, evil plots and an army of minions. Her mother would tell her the stories over and over again, telling Mal to do better, but that she will never surpass her mother, despite her own master plan failing and leaving her in an inescapable prison.

She did understand a bit of where her mothers anger was coming from, especially if Audreys relatives were just as annoying as she was. "You know and I totally do not blame your grandparents for inviting everyone in the whole world, except my mother, to their stupid christening."

"Water under the bridge?" Audreys had a fake smile plastered on her face, and Mal wanted desperately to see what it would take to make it go away, but she had too much self control for that.

"Totes." She replied, both of them falling into some of the most fake sounding laughter she had ever heard. She was actually a bit impressed. It drained away, leaving an awkward silence to take it's place for a moment before the Prince seemed willing to speak again.

"Okay, so how about a tour?" He asked. They agreed, if only so that they could move the process along quicker but not seem suspicious. Soon enough they'd be safe and sound, able to plan and stash the food Carlos and Jay had taken somewhere safe. They had shelter, sustenance, and whatever else they needed they could probably get eventually too. Mal looked around and the blue sky, green grass, fresh air all gave a picture of innocence. She may have to be here, but that didn't mean she wouldn't raise hell when they had what they needed. Maybe the people here should get some sense of what it's like on the Island. After all, it's because of them that they were stuck there in the first place.

Auradon should hope she finds some redeeming features in it's people, because her mother was once renowned for her magic, and now Mal has it too, and she is looking forward to using it.

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 **You can see here where things are changing from the original plot. I was going to keep it closer to the movie, but decided against it. New situations are more interesting than ones where you know the outcome. I'm planning for more changes later on, and I know that these chapters are probably boring to read with how much they're following the movie, but bear with me. I'm trying to skip over certain parts to make scenes quicker.**

 **I welcome any tips or criticism!**


	4. Chapter 4

Ben didn't know how he had expected his introduction to the kids he brought over from The Isle of the Lost to go, but it definitely hadn't been like this. He had organised everything, with a lot of help from Fairy Godmother, and wanted it to be perfect. There were people celebrating their arrival and everything, even a band.

Maybe he should have put more thought into it though. When they first got out of the care, he was shocked. They hadn't looked like he had thought they would. Their clothes were odd, what appeared to be think leather in most places, and colored in odd ways. They were all pretty pale, especially the two girls. One in particular (wearing white, black and red so presumably Carlos de Vil) looked younger than the others, was just a bit shorter than the two girls even. Aside from that, they looked like ordinary teens, no signs of evil or maliciousness tattooed across their faces.

As the introduction went on, and Fairy Godmother welcomed them, he couldn't help but look around and feel some level of regret about certain things. The well wishers holding signs and flags, hadn't left, and were instead gawking at the four teens. The band stood in formation behind him, but he could hear whispers, comments and jokes on the new students, many of them not very pleasant. Fairy Godmother herself, while a highly honored woman and amazing teacher, could also be unnerving if you didn't know her with how strict and enthusiastic she was.

The four teens were very quiet, though they may have been like that naturally, or it may have been caused by the multitude of eyes focused on them every second of their arrival. Then again, he looked at their straight backs and confident gazes and concluded that they don't seem the type to intimidate easily.

Then things just got worse. Fairy Godmother left along with the band, and as much as he knew it would be more comfortable for them to talk to someone their own age (or, for Carlos, at least closer to their age), he wished he had her there to support him. Audrey was great, and he did love her a lot, but he would be King soon, and having this as his first royal decree was risky. Many of the people in Auradon hadn't agreed with his choice, believing the children to be their parents, or at least guilty of the crimes of them.

Ben had to prove to his people that the kids were just kids, just like any Auradon teen. If this didn't work out then all the other kids on the Island would be stuck there forever, and these four probably sent back too. Audrey didn't agree with his decree, and had attempted to sway him against it, but he was firm in his beliefs. When he had asked her to help him get them settled in upon arrival, she had agreed. He had taken that to mean that though she doesn't believe in it, she will at least be polite, if only just for him.

That was not what happened. It had been a train wreck. He had been training for these situations for years with his parents, and yet he couldn't seem to do anything to stop it. He had embarrassed himself a bit, but was fine with it once it seemed to cheer up one of the girls, Mal. Then the unexpected happened. Audrey, for some unknown reason, decided to bring up Mal's mother, and he was ashamed to say he froze. It was so unexpected, that he didn't know how to calm the situation and not make it worse.

Then Mal decided to fight back a bit, and though the conflict was obviously not resolved completely, he decided to move on before anything else happened. They would need to know the school grounds and so a tour would work to keep interest with no actual conversation. He told dome of the history of the school as they walked, many of these from stories he had been told when he was younger about the adventured his parents had had.

The statue was always an interesting thing to show guests, and so he guided them over and clapped his hands, watching the man become a beast. He had most certainly not been expecting the scream he heard from behind him though, and quickly looked over to an odd sight. Carlos had jumped into Jays arms in fright, with Jay looking a bit concerned for the boy in his arms.

"Carlos, it's okay." He said, quickly explaining the statue. Perhaps Carlos was scared by the magic? Either way, he wanted to move on and hopefully have him calm down. They made their way inside. The various students standing around near the entrance stared, though thankfully the other teens seemed to ignore it. Then Mal asks a curious question.

"So, you guys have a lot of magic here at Auradon?" She asked, probably because of the display with the statue. Of course they haven't seen much magic at all in their lives, so they must be curious now that they're in a place where it can be used. He answers the question for her.

"Yeah, it exists, of course, but it's pretty much retired." He said. "Most of us here are just ordinary mortals."

"Who happen to be kings and queens." Mal joked. She was smiling, so at least she didn't seem too disappointed.

"That's true!" Audrey exclaimed, putting his arm around her shoulders, making him smile. "Our royal blood goes back hundreds of years." They would know of course, as they had spent many a childhood afternoon complaining about the long history lessons they had to go to.

He quickly spotted Doug coming down the stairs, a welcome figure to hopefully keep things running smoothly. "Doug! Doug, come down."

Ben walked over to his friend and spoke happily. "This is Doug. He's going to help you with your class schedules, and show you the rest of the dorms." He felt a bit guilty for asking Doug to do the job for him, but he was a bit busy still sorting things for the new teens.

He took a step forward. "I'll see you later, okay?" He said to Mal, as she seemed to be the leader of their small group. "And if there is anything you, need feel free to-"

"Ask Doug." Audrey said with a laugh, before pulling him away and walking outside. He let her pull him away, until they were far enough from anyone that they could speak in private.

He was about to ask her what was going on, but she twirled around to face him with an angry expression on her face and the words died before they could reach his lips. He quickly tried to think of what was wrong, maybe just the fact that she didn't agree with his decree, but quickly gave up. By the looks of things, she was about to tell him either way.

"Why did you think this was a good idea, Ben?" She was pacing in short lines in front of him. "One of them hit on me! And that girl, she wouldn't stop trying to flirt with you!"

Ben was taken aback. He hadn't been aware of any attempted flirting. There had been a few jokes, but maybe Audrey saw something he hadn't. She tended to be better at these things than he was.

He tried to calm her. "Audrey, it was just a few jokes, I'm sure Mal didn't mean it. And they've only just arrived, you can't blame them for not knowing we were going out."

"I know you always see the best in people, but I think that this is going a bit too far Ben. You know that I've tried to support you in this, but I just don't agree with it. You're putting the people of Auradon in danger! They've been raised by some of the worst people alive, and you think that they will somehow turn out different?"

He had to think carefully about his response. "They're just kids Audrey. Not villains, not monsters. I will take responsibility for whatever you believe they are going to do to people, but I think you've forgotten something."

Audrey was a smart girl, thoughtful and kind, but her anger was not helping her think. He couldn't blame her though. Everyone in Auradon had been affected by villians in some way, and Audreys family had too. Not that anyone would ever let it show, but rumors always persisited. Having Mal here was just more than she could handle and he would never blame her for that. He just hoped that, in time, she could see that the teens weren't their parents, and that they shouldn't be blamed for their parents actions.

"What could I possibly be forgetting? The fact that my boyfriend is putting so much on the line, to drag villians into a Auradon? Is that it?"

"Villians or not, we built The Isle of the Lost, and therefore the people living there are citizens of Auradon. I have as much of a duty to care for them as I have for any other citizen." He had been taught that you can't just abandon your people, but it seemed like everyone was willing to forget this part of it. The difficult part.

She was quiet for a moment, looked around at the grounds before looking at him with a resigned expression. "Fine, you can do what you want for them. But don't come to me when they start showing their more evil sides."

"I won't." He spoke quietly, walking up to her and grabbing her hands. "We're okay though?" He didn't want to lose Audrey, especially over a difference of opinion. They had been friends since they were kids, and he didn't know what he would do without her.

Thankfully her face broke into a smile, before he quickly wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. "Of course, after all you couldn't last a day without me."

Their laughter slowly turned into little giggles, before they properly separated themselves from each other. Audrey fixed her hair and Ben straightened his suit. They worked well together. Ben was an idealist and too nice for his own good, and sometimes he needed Audrey there to be realistic and harsh.

"Okay, you have to go talk to Fairy Godmother, don't you?" Audrey asked him, hands on hips. "If you don't hurry, you're going to be late."

"Thanks, we'll talk more later, okay?" He asked, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. He waited for a smile and a nod from her, before quickly walking into the school building to a classroom, where they had planned to meet. It wasn't used very often, so they had been using it during school hours to plan the new kids schedules and sort out any paperwork involved.

The halls had a few people traversing them, so he greeted everyone as quick as possible, before moving on. He felt a bit bad for wishing they wouldn't say anything to him, but a bit of guilt is better than being late. As he walked he tried to imagine how the school looks from the Island kids perspective. Big windows let in sunlight and fresh air, a pretty open plan for a castle, clean walls and floors. He wondered what school was like on the Isle.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts when he realized he had reached the room. He gently knocked on the door and walked in, seeing Fairy Godmother sitting at a desk, looking over what he presumed to be the paperwork that they had only just finished, ensuring everything was in order.

She looked up with a smile. "Ben, how did it go?" She asked, patting the seat beside here. He walked over and sat, beginning his explanation.

"It was okay, we were all introduced, nothing went terribly wrong. I asked Doug to help them with class schedules and finding their dorm rooms, so that's what they are doing now. All in all, it was about what I expected it to be."

She smiled at him, before looking back at the paperwork laid across the table. He himself decided to see what they were. From what he could see, they were basic profiles of the kids, name, age, parent, but virtually nothing else. When Fairy Godmother saw his confusion at the mostly blank files, she sighed.

"To be honest dear, we know very little about them except this. We don't want to scare them with any medical exams either, so we're just going to have to keep a close eye on them for now."

He understood why, even people in Auradon who were used to regular checkups hated them. He took a closer look at one of the files, and remembered something.

"Are you sure that they're all sixteen?" He asked, looking at Carlos' file. He could see that the question confused Fairy Godmother, and so he explained. "The first time I saw Carlos, I noticed that he is rather short for a sixteen year old, even smaller than both of the girls."

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "You're right dearie. He could be younger, but the only way to check is a medical exam or asking them and neither would go down very well."

He could see her point and looked back at the profile. "Does it make any difference?" If he was younger, he might not be at the same level of education as the others.

"Well, we'll leave it for now. He can go to the same classes, and if he's struggling we'll either find him a tutor or drop him down a year." She collected up all the paperwork and stood. "I've got to go and prepare for a class, but thank you for bringing this to my attention Ben."

"You're welcome." He said with a smile.

Then he was left alone, deep in thought. The phone call to his father that was arranged for later actually didn't seem so bad now. He hadn't seen anything too bad so far, in fact the teens seemed to be rather well adjusted despite their upbringing. Maybe this wouldn't be as difficult as he thought it was going to be. After all, what could go wrong?

* * *

 **This one is Bens POV, rather than one of the VKs, because I wanted to show what others think about them. I am sure this is probably way too OOC, but I tried my best. Characterization is not my strong point. I'm going with the idea that Carlos is the youngest of the group, 14 to their 16.**

 **I welcome any criticism or tips!**


	5. Chapter 5

Evie was scared. Actually, no, Evie was terrified. She looked around the room they had been given, and all the objects within it and she was frightened of what must be coming. After all, you don't just give away so much stuff, and definitely not for free. The only time she saw anything like it was when tricksters on the Isle forced people to work for them, to pay off their debts one way or another. That means that they've made a mistake, one that they'll have to pay for at some point. Payment usually isn't pleasant.

"Ugh," Mal grimaced, the light from the large windows spilling across her face. "E." She turned and saw Mal point at one of the two windows, which she quickly walked over to. Before she shut the curtains she got a quick view of outside (green grass, open space and blue skies so wide she thought she would drown), and her heart yearned for something more than a handsome prince.

Thankfully, the thin curtains blocked out a lot of the harsh light that had been streaming in, and her skin was safe from the wrinkles and freckles that come along with it. She could practically hear her mothers disapproving voice, criticizing her for ever letting the sun touch her perfect white skin in the first place, and she quickly pulled out her mirror to reassure herself.

She adjusted her makeup, to ensure she looked perfect before looking to Mal, who had stood with her arms crossed, watching her back.

"Ready?" Mal asked, her face a picture of neutrality, but Evie knew how desperate she was to get to the boys. She felt the same.

She had been shocked when they had been given separate rooms (she was shocked to be given a room at all), especially when she found out that they weren't even very close to each other. They had almost blown up at Doug, asked why they were being split up, did they not trust them? The most confusing thing about the situation was Doug's confusion at their reaction.

(Girl's and boy's are separate in every boarding school." He explained to them, looking nervously at the students trailing behind them. She was sure they were planning to save Doug from the 'evil villains', and the thought almost laughed. It would be better than the snarl she wanted to give him instead.

"Why?" Mal questioned, walking closer to the boy. He shook, and tried to cover it up with some nervous laughter. Judging by the sound of feet shuffling closer behind them, it didn't work.

"Because, well...you know..." He stammered, a blush spreading rapidly across his face. She looked at the others, who looked just as confused as before, and looked back. When he saw no realization dawning on their faces, he quickly moved on.

"You can talk to Fairy Godmother about your rooms, but I can almost assure you, that it will stay the way it is." He didn't seem to see the problem in this and, despite their dismayed expressions, quickly showed them to their rooms.

As the boys rooms were further away from the entrance than the girls', they were forced to split up. At least both groups were relatively well split, with Mal and Jay acting as the powerful guards, and Evie and Carlos as the tacticians. It was still one of the hardest things she's ever done.)

"Of course." The smirk on her face practically spoke for itself. A matching one forming on Mal's face, they stalked out the door.

The halls were unfamiliar, but they had a good sense of direction and knew the boys would have left a signal they would recognize, so their confidant stride never faltered. They ignored the people ogling at them, pointing and whispering, and looked at the doors from the corners of their eyes. Evie lost her intense focus when Mal stopped and yanked on her arm. She stumbled back, (thankfully no one else saw), before looking at what had caused the tug.

The smirk on her face quickly changed to a real smile as she took in the small clue. The corner of a tiny piece of red fabric was poking out of the top of the door. The two looked at each other, Mal looking eager to be reunited, before walking straight in.

Her immediate thought was that Mal was definitely not going to stay in their room now. She had to admit, despite her love of the princessy room, the darker colors of the boys room were comforting. She focused her attention on Jay and Carlos, both of whom looked at them with obviously relieved expressions, slowly relaxing.

"Come on, we need to make a plan." Mal was already dragging them to sit on the two beds, Mal and Evie on one and the boys on the other. It was true, now that they were here, they would have to be very careful. They had seen what Auradon could do with anger, and she didn't want anything to happen to them. The Isle was terrible, a cruel punishment for any crimes. She didn't want to see what would be thought up for them if they messed this up.

"Are we going to follow your mother's plan?" Carlos quickly spoke, his eyes focused on Mal. It seemed everyone was shocked by the sudden question, but Mal recovered rapidly and looked to be thinking it through.

"My mother is smart, I mean this plan could work out. I can make sure my mother gives good positions to all of you, but I want to hear what you guys think." Her serious expression prompted them all to consider the situation. It wasn't rare that Mal would ask for their opinions, but it wasn't common either. She was the leader, and they would follow where she leads, except in situations like these. In situations where they are putting more than just their lives at stake, risking horrific punishment for something they haven't planned yet.

Evie wanted to be in Auradon, wanted the abundant space and the happy lives everyone seems to have. Maybe it isn't all it says it is, maybe there is something dark hiding behind those glaring rays of sun and the wide blue sky, but she she grew up in darkness and dirt, and she was sure she could handle whatever this place threw at her. If they followed the plan Maleficent had given them, Auradon as it was would be destroyed. No more peace or happily ever after, just painful revenge. Maybe they would get to rule in some way, but Evie wouldn't find any pleasure in ruling the broken people that would be left.

Mind made up she looked at Jay and Carlos. Jay didn't look like he had thought of it too much, trusting his friends and his instincts, but still appeared to be confident in what he thought. Carlos appeared to be the only one left thinking, his finger tapping on his knee and his eyes unfocused. He seemed torn for a minute, his hand beginning to tug on a piece of hair, before steeling himself and dropping his hand.

(It was good that he managed to stop himself, usually Jay had to gently pull his hand down. The lack of the embarrassment that would have caused would make things go smoother. No one liked being too vulnerable sometimes, even amongst friends.)

"Okay, then," Mal looked around the group, studying the serious faces before deciding. "E, you first."

Evie took a deep breath before she spoke. "I don't want follow the plan. I mean, this is a place with so much food that they can just throw it away. They have books, and clothes, and magic. I don't see the point in destroying all of it, when we could all have happy lives here without becoming its rulers." She knew that her hopes were getting in the way of cold logic, which would work far better to convince Mal, but she just could't help it.

"Jay."

He was far more relaxed than anyone else, ready to go with the flow no matter what happened. "I think that either way works. We could stay and do what we want or we follow the plan and do what we want. I don't really care too much as long as you guys are safe and we have some freedom." It was a very predictable answer, but reassured her. He would be with them no matter what happened and would't mind.

All eyes turned to the last person to speak. "Carlos, anything to add?"

"I think that Evie's a bit too optimistic," he said, shooting her an apologetic face. "But she's telling the truth. We have food, magic, technology all here. We could do a lot of damage on our own if we want to, but we don't have to, at least yet. I think we should play along, for now at least."

Mal nodded in silence, obviously weighing their options in her head. "Okay, we'll play along for now, since we need to find out where the wand is first anyway. When we know that, then we'll decide." They nodded their agreement, and began to relax fully for the first time that day. Evie could see the exhausted slope of Carlos' spine, watching him slowly lean into Jay, who barely seemed to notice.

They held up light conversation for a while, talking about what they should do to freak out the school, and any gossip they had from the Island. They were used to little sleep, and the new environment wasn't going to help in any way. Then again, Evie thought looking at Carlos, maybe it won't be too difficult. The boy had fallen asleep curled up to Jay's side, and Jay had wrapped an arm around him with a smile. She heard a quiet snort beside her, and looked only to see Mal grinning at the scene. It was rather cute.

Mal decided that they weren't going back to their room, and instead they would all sleep in the boys room. No one had any complaints. The girls were sharing one bed, and the boys the other one, mostly because they didn't want to wake Carlos. Having her friends around her reassured Evie, and even though she was scared for what tomorrow would bring, she couldn't wait. She vaguely remembered that classes would start tomorrow. She fell asleep to the sound of her friends' breathing.

She wasn't prepared for the horrified voice that woke them up in the morning.

* * *

 **I'm not going to be updating as much as I did in the beginning, but I'll try my best to keep the chapters coming! So, we can see that the VKs don't have a definite plan for the future, but are preparing for everything. Evie is optimistic compared to the others, which makes her seem not as smart, but she is. We should see more of her tough side as we move on in the story. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to keep all relationships platonic, since these kids have issues to work out before anything could happen.**

 **I welcome any tips or criticism!**


	6. Chapter 6

Jay woke up to a surprising amount of warmth and clean fabric surrounding him. Of course, the real surprise of the situation was Fairy Godmother, standing at the entrance to the room, her face red and displeased. He glanced at the others, all of whom were also awake (who could sleep in the face of an intruder, when you're always ready for a knife to the back), before rolling smoothly out of the bed. There was a roguish grin on his face as he sauntered up to the disconcerted woman.

"Why, good morning Fairy Godmother." He smiled and gave a theatrical bow, eyes flickering over the woman's form. Even for a relatively simple outfit, the amount of easily taken goods on her had his fingers twitching, though he was sure she hadn't noticed, (after all, who need to worry when you've gotten rid of all the bad guys?). The amount he could have sold them for on the Isle was higher than most things he collected, and he had to ignore his fathers voice in the back of his head to continue. She was rather unimpressed by what he considered good manners and scanned the room, looking intently at the two girls still sitting on the bed (ready to run). His body tensed before he relaxed his muscled again. It wouldn't do to seem wary or ungrateful now would it?

"What are you two doing in here?" Her voice was far less welcoming and warm than it had been the previous day, and he spotted some alarm on Evie's face from the corner of his eye. She was the one that wanted to stay in Auradon the most. He could understand why, since it had everything she had ever wanted and told that she needed. Castles, princes, makeup, pretty clothes and more food than she would know what to do with.

Mal stepped in with a sad face, her eyes looking wide and scared, and he almost laughed when he saw how tight her fist was clenched to keep the charade up. "We were just so lonely, and we didn't know anyone else, so we met up after being shown our dorms, and we must have fallen asleep. It was such a tiring day yesterday. I hope you could forgive us?"

The hope in her voice almost sounded real, and he had to steel himself when he saw the way Fairy Godmother's face was softening. Laughing after your friend had just delivered a seemingly heartfelt apology wouldn't send the best message, but it was a struggle nonetheless. The woman stood for a few seconds, obviously thinking it through and his friends took the time to stand up and neaten themselves a bit. Evie took out her mirror, Carlos nervously tugged on the cuffs of his sleeves, and Mal simply straightened her jacket before giving up.

"Alright dears, I can overlook it this once but not again. If this happens again I'm afraid I'll have to give you a detention." Her voice was steady, which was a surprise considering what she was saying. He saw Carlos go white and curl in on himself, Evie take a step back and even Mal almost reacted, briefly forming fists before her hands relaxed. Jay himself was surprised to hear of such a horrific punishment here in Auradon. They had all debated whether or not Auradon was as good as it claimed to be, but he hadn't been expecting this.

Mal nodded, her face apologetic and sincere. "Of course."

Satisfied with the reply, Fairy Godmother moved on. "Now that that matter has been dealt with, I came here to tell you what would be happening today. The King and Queen want to meet with you four, and have planned to have a meal together. It will be a great opportunity to learn more about Auradon, and such an honor. Most people can only wish to have such an experience." She paused and looked at them, waiting for some sort of joyous outburst most likely, which was not going to happen.

This was unexpected, and judging by the looks on the others faces, he wasn't the only one that thought as much. Gotta roll with the punches though (a lesson they all knew all too well), and so Mal drew the womans attention back to her.

"That sounds amazing. We would be honored to go." She was an amazing liar, even when panicked, which helped in this situation. Fairy Godmother hadn't made it sound like a choice, and they had an idea that trying to decline would end badly.

It was a miracle that Mal had managed to keep herself calm since arriving, since out of the four she was the one that held the most anger to Auradon. Her mothers stories had cast it in a bad light when she was young, and when she got older it was the punishment itself that angered her. Forcing anyone onto a small island, sending them your scraps and never letting them be free. It was such a cruel punishment that many on the Isle didn't deserve. Jay had to agree with her on than, since he knew many people who were assistants or minions to the few big villains that suffered a lot under such a harsh punishment that they hardly deserved.

Fairy Godmother smiled, the caring expression sending a shiver down his spine. It's creepy to see people so free with their emotions. "I'm glad you understand that. It will take place at four o'clock in the gardens, Prince Ben will also be present, so be sure to be on your best behaviors. He will guide you to the gardens to make sure no one is lost. Do you have any questions?"

Jay was honestly still trying to process the idea of a meal with the King and Queen, and hadn't even heard the rest of it. It was okay though, since at least one of his friends had to have heard it. He looked and judging by Mal's expression, it hadn't gotten any better. He hadn't expected it to.

"Thank you, but we're fine." Mal's smiled was starting to looked strained, not used to using the muscles so much.

"Of course. Ben will be up in a few minutes to show you to the cafeteria. Have a great day!" She exclaimed as she finally left. There was an audible sigh of relief in the room once the door shut behind her.

"Oh my god." Carlos was still pale, and was pushing himself into Jays side, retreating to a place of safety.

"Oh my god!" Evie on the other hand seemed to be the only one excited for the meal. She had turned to Mal, discussing dresses and makeup and shoes and other things that Mal had no interest in.

He let her voice fade away as he concentrated on Carlos who was definitely the most scared for this event. It was understandable, since he had the most reasons for not wanting to return to the Isle, which is what could happen if it went wrong. After all, going against Cruella de Vil had terrible consequences, not that they would let anything happen to him. He just couldn't think rationally through his panic.

"It'll be okay Carlos, okay?" He tried to tug the younger boy away so he could see his face, but Carlos just burrowed closer to his side and the sense of safety he gave off. He sighed and gave up, wrapping his arm around the boy and waiting for the fear to pass.

"It'll be okay..."

It had better be okay anyway. Evie is the only one that really wants to stay and fit in, Mal wants the benefits but also wants to fight, Carlos just wanted somewhere safe with his friends and technology, but Jay is different. All Jay wants is for his friends to be safe and happy. Mal isn't the only one willing to fight for them, and they would quickly learn that the lack of magic didn't make him any less deadly, only more creative. If he had to use those skills to keep his friends happy, then so be it.

After all, rolling with the punches is good, but a more permanent solution is better.

* * *

 **Now, we've covered all the VKs. Sorry for this one being a bit shorter than the others. I decided to mess with canon even more, since I want to keep things interesting. There isn't much that's new in this chapter, but we do learn that Jays motivations center around his friends and their happiness and safety. He doesn't really care too much himself, at least at this point. Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites and follows!**

 **I welcome any tips or criticism!**


	7. Chapter 7

It had been Ben's idea to have a meal with the villain's children. It was going to be private, just the five of them, somewhere quiet where he could answer any questions and make sure they weren't having any doubts. Adam was against the plan in its entirety.

"They are criminals Ben, you can't just ignore that. You may not understand what they are capable of, but I do and I forbid you from doing such a thing, especially on your own!" His hands were still carefully by his sides, a leftover from the many etiquette and anger management sessions he had attended in the past, though his voice couldn't portray the same calm.

His son was pacing in front of him. Ben had traveled from the school back home to have this conversation face-to-face, something he had thought was odd, given their phone call earlier that day, until he found out what it was about. He understood how Ben felt, had heard the care already forming for the outsiders when he had called. He just didn't understand the danger that was such a large part of these children. His son, soon-to-be King or not, was still rather naive, even for a teenager.

Ben sighed and turned to face him, his face pleading. "I understand what you think of them dad, but you haven't even met them. Why can't you just give them a chance?" And this was why he was nervous about handing the kingdom over to his son.

Ben was one of the nicest people out there, so kind and always willing to see the best in people. His son was probably going to make large changes when he became King, he just didn't want his son to get hurt because of it. Even in Auradon not everyone could be trusted to have the best intentions, and if he couldn't trust his own people, how could he ever trust the kids of some of the worst people to ever live?

"I don't have to meet them to know they're rotten to the core. What you need to remember is who their parents are. They aren't kids Ben, they are criminals and they were on that Isle for a reason."

"Fine!" His son threw up his hands and came to a stop in front of him. "If you are so certain that they are pure evil, then you can have a meal with them too"

Adam had been rising from his desk, about to reprimand his son and remind him of his manners, but he was frozen in place with shock. The King, the most important person in the land, the soon-to-be King, and four villainous children, all having a meal together. Scenarios flashed before his eyes. (The meal ends up poisoned, and the villains kill them. The kids sneak weapons in and kill them. They hold them hostage in demand for the kingdom. They manage to free their parents and cause chaos and panic.) A thought rose in his mind that he may be being a bit dramatic, but he quickly silenced it. He had seen the damage villains could do and, despite wishing his son understood his stance on this more, he didn't want for him to be hurt.

"Dad?" Ben was still standing in front of him, though judging by the nervous expression on his face, his anger had quickly faded in the face of his fathers silence. He stood up, the paper he had been signing before his sons arrival shifting and crumpling slightly under his hands. As he walked past his son, he spoke again. "My decision is final. You are not to be around those kids on your own. One day you'll realize I'm right, and you'll thank me for this."

There was silence for a moment, and he was beginning to feel relief that his son was going to follow his orders, that he would be safe, (that he was right), until he reached the door an he heard his voice again.

"I am doing this dad, whether you agree with it or not. You can come along if you wish, even bring mom if that would make you feel better, but with you or without you, this is going to happen." He heard his son sigh, frustration and sadness evident, but he didn't turn around and just listened to his sons words. "My first royal decree was to bring these kids over, to help them in any way that we could. We can't go back on that, and no matter what anyone else says, I am going to fight for these kids. And one day, you'll thank me for it."

Having his own words thrown back in his face was too much and he quickly walked out and slammed the door, stomping down the halls, scaring various maids working there, until he reached his room. He walked in, slammed the door once more before sitting on the bed and resting his face in his hands with a tired sigh.

He didn't understand what had gotten into his son. When he was younger he was interested in the Isle, but he never argued against his fathers opinions. Adam had just thought that he was too kind, not able to deal with the harshness that life sometimes brought. He had always been obedient, never argued or had a rebellious phase and his wife and him were very grateful for that. His calm and kind nature were the things that lessened the dread Adam had of passing down the crown. (If his obedience helped Adam direct him in the right directions in the beginning, then there was nothing wrong with that.)

In the past year though, as his training for being King and all the duties that entails rose, he seemed to form ideas that not everyone agreed with. He had thought that he could teach his son, show him that he didn't understand the situation properly, but Ben's first royal decree proved that his son was far more steadfast in his beliefs than he had realized. Even the (fearful at best, furious at worst) reactions of the people of Auradon hadn't shaken his sons resolve in the slightest. (He would be proud if he wasn't so against it.)

He was still wallowing in this thoughts, when he heard the door open near silently, and he was about to snarl and scream at the intruder but quickly calmed when he recognized his wife. (Apparently having been turned into a beast for such a long time had a permanent affect.)

"Oh, dear, why do you do this to yourself?" His wife said with a sigh. She walked over and gently sat on the bed beside him, resting her hand on his back in support. His wife was the most amazing person he knew, and he would be forever grateful for her kindness. She was the only reason he had managed to rule a kingdom so successfully, and she was always ready to support him or lend a hand when the workload seems to never end.

"He needs to understand that his actions have consequences, especially dangerous ones like these. I just need to find a way to make him understand me." He hoped his wife would have a solution, as she often did, because he couldn't help but think that the outcome of this situation, (chaos, fear, villains taking over), was becoming inevitable.

"What has Ben done now?" She sounded resigned to the fact that her husband and son just couldn't seem to see eye to eye.

"He wants to have a meal with the villain kids, alone. Can you imagine? I don't know why he thinks it would work out, but I just can't agree. But he said it will happen with or without my approval." He looked at Belle, righteousness fading as he saw her displeased expression, quite clearly aimed at him. "What?"

"It sounds to me that he isn't the only one not listening when you two talk." She said, raising her eyebrows at him in query. At his defensive expression she sighed once more. "It also doesn't sound like that bad of an idea."

When he turned to her, his face the picture of confusion, she explained. "We can meet these kids, get an idea of their personalities and decide where to go from there. Ben will be there to both set a good example, and be someone closer in age that they can relate and talk to, to keep them feeling comfortable and relaxed. Ben can see for himself if he was right or wrong, and we can send them back to the Isle before they can do any damage, if needs must."

He hated that she was right. "Fine," he groaned, standing up and stretching his back with a satisfying crack. "We'll attend the meal, if only to show Ben the mistake he has made."

His beautiful wife rolled her eyes before standing also. They had work to do, and issues with their son didn't stop that. They gave each other a quick peck before striding out of the room and splitting their separate ways.

As he walked, he thought about how the next day would go. They would be cautious, the kids would prove themselves to be the villains their parents are, and they could be quickly shipped back to their rightful home before anything bad happens. (The thought that maybe he was wrong, maybe they weren't their parents but just ordinary teens crossed his mind, but he quickly brushed it aside. After all, he knew their parents, and they wouldn't have stood for anything less than children of pure evil.)

That night, as he was laying beside his wife in their comfortable bed, he couldn't quite help but feel apprehensive. He lay on his back with his eyes wide ope, barely seeing the darkness he was staring at over his own uncertainties. How would tomorrow go, would Ben be safe? What would Ben think if they were evil, if he had made such a huge mistake.

One last thought flashed through his mind before he finally fell asleep, quickly forgotten.

(Maybe his son wasn't the one who had made a huge mistake.)

* * *

 **Now a chapter from the kings POV. You may have noticed how much importance Adam places on kingship, and how him and Ben disagree on certain issues. He honestly believes that the VK's are as bad as their parents, and that they should have just stayed on the Isle. The only reason he is doubting himself in the slightest in because of Ben, and even that goes away quite quickly. Belle herself isn't quite as bad as her husband, but has pretty much the same views. The whole thing with the affects of being a beast is going to come up again.**

 **I welcome any tips or criticism!**


	8. Chapter 8

Carlos had to say, he understood why they were doing this, understood that it wasn't exactly a choice if they wanted to stay here. He still thought it was one of the stupidest things they had ever done, and Jay once tried to steak one of his mothers fur coats.

Now that he was over his panic and could register the fact the he was as safe as he could be, tucked unto Jay's side, he looked around to see how the others were taking it. Mal was angry, not that it was very unexpected. She was pacing the free space in the room, keeping an eye on the door in case anyone else came through. He could hear her muttering under her breath, familiar sounding arguments and comments that they had all heard many times over.

Evie was practically bouncing, looking through clothes and trying to discuss makeup with an angered Mal, the only one excited for what was to come. He could understand it in a way. She had been taught from a young age that titles matter, such as the ones royalty have. The idea that anyone with that power had any type of interest in her, (an idea that terrified Carlos. People with power on the Isle showing interest in you never ended well), was almost more than she could handle. He couldn't help but look at her excitement and see blatant naivety, and he couldn't blame her too much for that. She had been raised mostly in a castle, free from the inhabitants of the Isle except her mother.

He finally looked to Jay, who's arm was clutched tight around his shoulders. Jay looked scared too, not as much as Carlos, (no one is ever as scared as he is), but obviously thinking of way to try keep everyone safe. At the same time he was still murmuring reassurances to Carlos, a fact that almost brought a smile to his face before he remembered why this was happening at all.

A meal with not only Prince Ben, the soon-to-be king, but also his parents, the current King and Queen of Auradon, three of the most powerful people here. He couldn't see this going well. They would be on their own against the man who managed to unite Auradon and send their parents, very powerful people, to a terrible prison. No one would help them if they were attacked, (not that that's new), no one would argue on their side except them and no one would believe them about anything.

His regret for coming to Auradon hadn't left him yet, and now it was far worse.

"Okay, we have a few minutes before the Prince is up here. We might be separated, so we need to have a plan." Mal had come to a stop at the end of the bed Jay and he were still sitting on, and her words quickly brought Evie over, thankfully in a more serious mood.

"What's a cafeteria? What do you do there?" Evie's face was a picture of confusion, and looking at Mal and Jay, they didn't know either. Thankfully for them Carlos compulsively hoards books of any kind that he can find in his tree house, and will read through them all when he has time. He usually doesn't understand all of them, but he knows more things about Auradon from the books they throw away than his friends.

"It's a room where you can get food and eat," he said, drawing their attention to him for the first time in the past few minutes. "People in Auradon have enough food that all of them can eat multiple meals a day, everyday." The idea of it just seemed too fantastic, too amazing to be real. Then again, he pondered as he sat up straighter, taking care not to move Jay's arm from around his shoulders, everyone knew the food they got on the Isle were the scraps of the food Auradon had left over. If you had enough food to eat so much, and still have leftovers, then maybe he could understand why Evie wanted to stay. (It still didn't change his opinion, the fears of danger lurking around the corner.)

Mal thought it over for a second, before looking at them with determination burning in her eyes. "This is going to be dangerous, but we've gotten through worse before. Stick together where you can, and try to seem as weak and good as you can. This is Auradon, the worst that can happen is getting shipped back to the Isle." She had spat out the word good as though it was something rotten on her tongue, though rotten food itself was something they were far more used to.

Carlos didn't quite believe that Auradon was very safe, but he let it slide when he looked at the optimism on Evie's face. Despite knowing that she had to be able to look at Auradon without seeing everything as perfect, since nothing can be that perfect, he didn't want to be the one to ruin it for her. Mal's last statement made him wince, because for him getting shipped back to the Isle iwas/i the worst thing that could happen. He shivered as memories (of cuts and bruises, the darkness of the closet and the feeling of metal piercing his ankle) almost overcame him, but he quickly shoved them away and paid attention once more.

"Play along with them, try to fit in or at least make some sort of a good impression. If you can't do that avoid people and say you're shy or something if anyone mentions it. We can do this." The confidence in her voice seemed to infect all of them, even Carlos who would usually be a nervous wreck doing something like this. His worries didn't go away, and he was still on edge, but at least now he remembered that he would have his friends no matter what happened.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. His confidence began to waver, but he steeled himself. Mal looked around, made sure everyone was okay and nothing looked too suspicious before walking over to the door. It was only there, in the slight hesitation before she opened the door, that he could see her own nerves. Surprisingly it didn't make his any worse, in fact it improved them a bit. It was nice to see their all-powerful leader act human every now and again.

She swung the door wide open, a genial expression plastered across her face. Carlos could see the Prince, standing in the doorway in well fitted and clean clothes, with a large and suspiciously authentic grin on his face. (He can't remember ever seeing so much of a real positive emotion ever. Happiness was a thing to be hidden and protected from others, in case they decided to show you how little you had to feel happy about.)

"Hey, guys," he said, peaking into the room to see the rest of the group. "I'm here to show you to the cafeteria, so we can all get some breakfast. I also have to tell you guys what you are doing today. Are you all ready?"

Mal nodded, looking at them from the corner of her eye as they all made their way out into the hall. Ben walked beside Mal, guiding them through the different halls to the entrance of the building, talking all the while about the history of the building and various stories that didn't interest Carlos. He was paying careful attention to all the halls they went through, any exits or hiding spots he could see, and committing them to memory.

As they exited the building, Carlos had to shade his eyes from the bright sunlight, something he was not used to. He could see the others all had to do the same, though Ben, with his tanned skin and light hair, seemed more than capable of handling it. Thankfully he realized they were having issues seeing because of the sun, and he quickly led them over to a more shaded area where they could walk.

So far Carlos had been ignoring the people they passed, like the ones who practically plastered themselves to the walls as they walked by in the dorms. It was the people outside that he couldn't help but notice, hanging around in groups, their eyes never leaving him and his friends. Judging by some of the laughter, there were some jokes being passed around about them, but that didn't bother him. He really doubted that it would be as bad as the things said about him on the Isle.

Thankfully, they reached another building before anyone could approach them, and Carlos, once again, memorized as much of the layout as he could. As they walked in Ben stopped and twirled to face them. "This is the school, and is where you will have all your classes and get your meals. If you ever need help finding your way around, you can ask me, or if I'm not here, any other student would be more than willing to help you."

That is a bit optimistic, Carlos thought while watching the various students in hearing range whisper to their friends in obvious disagreement, or perhaps just oblivious. They moved on and finally arrived at the cafeteria, a large room filled with numerous tables, many already filled, and what looked like a large selection of food. Ben invited them over to eat with his friends, but Carlos was far too distracted by the food to care about the response.

They walked over to the food, and thankfully other people were getting theirs so they could see how it worked. Carlos was still unconvinced that they could just take as much food as they wanted, but he wasn't going to argue. He was the last to grab some, and he just followed in his friends lead since he couldn't recognize a lot of the food there. He even managed to grab himself an apple, and it didn't even have any bruises or mold on it.

Carlos realized that Mal had accepted Ben's invitation when he looked up and saw they were heading to a table with people already sitting at it. He understood the need to make people like them, but since he wasn't that great with people, he was dreading this.

"Hey guys," Ben never seemed to drop his smile, and even now it looked real. "I'd like to introduce you to some of my friends."

He gestured to his girlfriends, who was sitting beside him with a possessive hand on his arm. "You all know Audrey already, of course." She's a bit hard to ignore, Carlos thought to himself, sneaking a glance at the glare she was sending their way.

He moved onto Doug, who looked far to nervous about being introduced. "You've already met Doug."

Next, he gestured to another boy, who had blond hair and what would be a handsome face if it wasn't for the ugly expression plastered across it. "This here is Chad Charming, son of King Charming and Cinderella. He is also an all-star player of the tourney team here." Judging by what looked like a near flinch when Cinderella was mentioned, he assumed something had happened, but the others boys face smoothed out into a confident grin once tourney was mentioned. Carlos has no clue what that could be, but he'd bet on a sport.

"This here," Ben said, dragging their attention to another girl at the table, this one Asian, with short dark hair and a confident expression. "Is Lonnie Li, the toughest girl around, and far tougher than most of the boys too. She is the daughter of Mulan and Shang Li." Carlos could confirm the claim of toughness, judging by the lean muscle she seemed to have in abundance. He glanced at Mal, and he could see the urge to fight for such a title, but she restrained herself to a friendly fake smile.

"It's great to meet all of you." She said, taking a seat across from them. Thankfully, the group had left the entirety of the other side for them, so they all managed to seat themselves with little difficulty. "My name is Mal, this is Jay Evie and Carlos. We're so glad to be here." While not a complete lie, it was a lie nonetheless, though the Auradon students had thankfully not noticed it.

The there was an awkward silence for a few seconds, before Evie spoke up. "Your makeup is so nice, did you do it yourself?" Her comment was directed at Audrey, who seemed more than happy to talk about herself, and with the silence broken, conversations began.

Mal talked to Lonnie about how strong the girl was, appealing to her interests and finding similarities. Jay managed to start a conversation with Chad, asking about tourney and how it works. He can't blame Chad for thinking Jay cared, since Jay was the tallest, most physically fit of the group, and must have looked interested in sports, if one didn;t know how he got those muscles like Carlos did. Even Doug and Ben began discussing something, probably their schedule judging by the snippets he could hear. He was perfectly happy to sit in silence, and eat as much food as he could.

He really had to admire the others who were managing to hold conversation and eat at the same time, because all he could focus on was his food. There was some toast, not moldy or soggy, and what he thought were eggs, though he had never eaten any before. He quickly slipped the apple into his pocket before anyone noticed, to save it for later. It was all so delicious, and despite the small portions he had served himself, knowing that eating after barely any food can be difficult, he found himself uncomfortably full and feeling vaguely nauseous.

He had only managed a few minutes with no one speaking to him. He looked up as Jay's elbow found its way into his side, and saw everyone looking at him. He flushed, very visibly what with his pale skin, and tried to form a smile. "Sorry?"

Ben seemed to realize he hadn't been paying attention, and repeated the question. "We wanted to know what your interests are. We know Mal enjoys sparring, like Lonnie. Evie likes make up and fashion, and Jay likes sports. So, what do you enjoy?"

He was ready to panic, unsure of what to say. Mal had said to play along, but he wan't good with people. He glanced at them, his eyes reflecting the panic that he was doing his best to make sure didn't show on his face. Jay's arm nudged into his and a teasing grin appeared on his face as he leaned into the others. "He is amazing at anything to do with science or technology. Do't mind him, he's just rather shy."

Mal quickly backed him up. "I'm sure he'll get used to you guys soon though." She gave them a friendly smile that, after her chat with Lonnie, didn't seem quite as fake as before.

Thankfully the conversation moved off him, so he could sit in silence once more, this time paying attention. He took a few glances around the room, noticing how the glares and such seemed to have died down a bit now that they were eating. He presumed it was because of who they were eating with, not because of some sudden kindness they all developed.

His thoughts turned to the meal that was to take place later that day. He was still anxious, terrified of being sent back to the Isle, but as he looked at Ben laughing at a joke Jay said, he felt like they might have a chance. He couldn't go back to the Isle, because that's where his mother is and he doesn't think he'll survive another one of her attempts to kill him. They didn't happen often, just when she was so delusional or angry that she couldn't think it through, but they were never pleasant, and it's a miracle he's survived this long. He only had a chance because she needed him as her slave, to clean the house and do her hair and fluff her furs.

He is dragged out of his thoughts by Ben speaking to them. "I am so sorry for forgetting to tell you what you're doing today, but we really have to get going to make sure we're not late." They all stood, and he could see his friends plates were like his, completely empty, whereas Ben's had the remnants of what looked like sausages and eggs left on his. He can't believe being so sure that he would always have food that he could just leave some, and judging by how Mal's face angers before she puts a friendly smile on, he isn't the only one.

Ben is guiding them once more, and Carlos recognizes the path they are taking, the one to the entrance. He's proven correct when they exit the building, where Ben turns to explain what they are meant to be doing until the meal, since he presumes they're not going to classes.

"Some people had concerns about your general health, and since we don't have your medical files you have to go get a general check-up." Ben said this like it was a small thing. Of course Auradon didn't have their medical files, there were no hospitals on the Isle. The closes things to doctors they had were people only the desperate went to, who might do more than needed, or make everything worse if they felt like it. He was perfectly happy keeping all of his organs and limbs, so he felt like such a trip was unnecessary.

He could hear Mal trying to convince him that such a visit was unnecessary, that they were all perfectly healthy, but he cold barely hear her over the static that had overtaken his brain at the mention of the hospital. All of them were afraid of hospitals, but Carlos had even greater fears and an actual story to back it up.

Cruella de Vil had told her son about how the doctors had called her crazy, that they had given her medications to take and when they didn't work, had thrown her on the Isle. She had always laughed when she spoke about it, a crazed shrieking to be more precise, especially when she told him that he was just as crazy as she was, that it was in his genetics. The idea of ever being as deranged and unstable as his mother was horrifying, especially when he couldn't refute it. He had been told that he wasn't a very normal baby, that he never cried, just stared silently with dark eyes. (His mother almost drowned him to stop his stares, thought he was wrong in some way.). Even as a teenager, he was unusual, never meeting people's eyes, too smart for his own good. It was the doctors in Auradon that had sent his mother to the Isle, and he didn't want them to do the same to him too.

Jay had pulled him behind him, and he managed to pull himself together in the illusion of safety he was being provided. His friends had promised him. Either they were all staying here, or none of them at all.

Mal had apparently decided that fighting would be useless, and kept Ben's attention on her while the rest of them pulled themselves together. Evie didn't look too scared, which wasn't a surprise given that she had never been injured enough to be so desperate as to consider the doctors on the Isle for help. While she knew their reputation, she had never seen their work up close as the others had.

Jay was nervous, his back tense and his legs ready to carry him miles in the other direction if he needed. Jay had seen many victims of doctors, people missing limbs or organs that hide away in the alleyways he traverses. He knew how dangerous this could be. He didn't run though, because they were his friends and Carlos knew he was going to try and protect them all, no matter what happened. (That resolve had given him a fair few scars in the past, and Carlos could only hope that this didn't end up adding to it.)

Carlos himself had calmed down slightly, and was only vaguely considering running. He knew he wouldn't, not when his friends weren't going to run with him. He tried to shove the fear, the worry to the back of his mind, and only slightly succeeded. He took a deep breathe anyway, let it out and moved out from behind Jay, bumping their shoulder together in an attempt to provide comfort.

Evie had found her way to Mal's side, supporting their leader by distracting Ben with questions. Mal looked at them, and after seeing they were both as calm as they were going to get, agreed to go along with it. Thankfully, despite their panic, they had only been standing there for a few minutes, not enough time for Ben to get suspicious. Not that Carlos thinks he would get suspicious anyway, what with how oblivious he seemed.

"It's nothing bad, I swear." Ben said, leading them over to a car similar to the one they arrived in. "I know most of the people working there, and they are all very kind and good at their jobs."

Carlos looked at the car that he had thought was bringing him to a better place only the previous day, and couldn't muster up the same emotions now. As his friends got in, on by one, he took one final glance at the blue sky and the beautiful greenery and buildings, just in case he'd never see them again, and climbed inside.

* * *

 **Back to Carlos' POV. We find out more about his mother and his backstory. I am using his backstory from the book, which has large indicators of extreme child abuse. Cruella isn't stable enough to raise a child, and it's literally through luck that Carlos is alive. I mentioned another small bit about the Isle, not having hospitals. They don't have the training, the supplies or the care to help someone injured, so obviously they don't exist. But people, who are interested in humans, might offer to help the desperate, if only to further their own interests.**

 **The next chapter will be in the hospital, where Ben is going to begin to realize that the Isle is even worse than he thought.**

 **I welcome any tips or criticism!**

 **Thanks so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites! A lot of the reviews have given me inspiration and motivation, so special thanks to** **BlueMoon007, FlatFox and Cahaya Sidur, who's comments all kept me excited about writing this story!**


	9. Chapter 9

Mal rarely felt fear. She was strong and vicious and people knew better than to go against her unless they wanted to lose a limb or two. Maybe it was the lack of control or the fact that they were going into the unknown, but she couldn't help the fear blaring across her mind, and judging by the heavy silence in the car, neither could her friends.

Jay had his arms around Evie and Carlos, pulling them into his sides, as though it would protect them from what they were about to face. His tense muscles revealed the worry he was hiding as he attempted to calm Carlos with Evie's help. Evie didn't seem too worried, which wasn't too big of a surprise, given that she had never faced a doctor before. (Mal had, once and it had given her one of the worst scars she had, a thick line on her side where he had tried to study her organs. She may have left with another scar, but she left with her life, unlike him). Carlos was surprisingly calm, given that he wasn't attempting to jump out of the moving vehicle or having a panic attack. She was pretty sure that was from his resignation to the fact that they were all about to suffer horrible deaths, but it was better than nothing, given she couldn't be sure they weren't.

She couldn't help but think about jumping out herself, dragging them out with her. They could make it, she was sure, they were fast and sneaky and had far more to lose than anyone in persuit of them. They could find somewhere to live, steal whatever they needed and live out their lives in far more comfort than they had ever expected. She knew they wouldn't do it though. Evie was so hopeful, so determined to be a part of Auradon, to live her happily ever after. Jay wanted everyone to be safe and happy, and if living in Auradon was what they needed for that, then he would do his best to make it happen. Carlos simply wanted some degree of safety, somewhere safe from his mother, and the Isle could never give him that. Mal herself was conflicted. She wanted power, she was her mothers daughter after all, but her friends mattered too much to her to discount their wishes.

She turned her attention back to them when she realized Evie had spoken. "It can't be as bad as you think, can it? After all, this is Auradon, not the Isle, how bad can it be?" Her face was optimistic, and as much as Mal wanted to preserve that innocence, someday it would get Evie in trouble she couldn't get away from with a simple smile and bat of her lashes. (People are people, no matter where they live or were born. Everyone is capable of horrific things, and she knew that the bright, happy people of Auradon must be hiding some dark secrets underneath the facade of perfection they hold so closely to themselves.)

"We plan for the worst." She speaks confidently, turning slightly to face them. "If it's what we think, then we run together, and once we're somewhere safe we can plan from there. If it is actually as innocent as they're telling us, then play along and hide as much as possible. Split knuckles and broken ribs might paint a closer picture of us than we want, so if something comes up, have an excuse for it. Something innocent, like falling or an accident, or however Auradon kids get injuries." If they think they are violent kids, they may be sent back before they could do any damage, and if she wants to get anything from Auradon, then she had to be there to take it from them.

The others quickly agree, given she was the leader, and sit back to plan any excuses they might need. Thankfully, it seems giving them a task to focus on has calmed them all a bit. She thought about her mothers plan. It appealed to her in many ways, the complete power she would gain, the struggle to succeed and the opportunities she could give her friends. The more she thought of it though, the less it sounded like a good idea. Ben, the soon-to-be King, had almost more power than anyone, but wasn't aggressive in using it. His people didn't agree with or follow him because of fear, they wanted to do what he said because they liked him. His kindness and calm were an asset here, whereas on the Isle they would have been a glaring weakness.

Perhaps she had to rethink any plans. A hostile takeover would inevitably lead to rebellion and disobedience, both of which were rather annoying to deal with. If they liked her however, they would do what she asked willingly, simply because she asked. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, she mused.

Eventually, the car slowed, signalling they had reached their destination. Her friends looked to her for guidance just before they stopped, and she reminded them, "Keep your heads on straight and we'll be okay." The simple reassurance seemed to give them some confidence, and she watched in amusement the way their backs straightened and heads rose. Ruling with kindness may not be as hard as she thought.

The door was opened and they climbed out, shielding their eyes once more. Two women approached them, wearing matching light blue uniforms and bright smiles that almost hurt more to look at than the sun. She put a smile on, the muscles in her cheeks protesting, an stepped forward to greet them.

"Hi, you must be the kids from the Isle. Today you're here for a basic checkup, nothing to be worried about. We are going to be your nurses for today, so ask if you have any questions." The womans voice was probably meant to be soothing, but it seemed more mocking to Mal's ears. The womans coworker had already began bustling them into the large building looming ahead.

The inside of the building was a lot nicer than she was expecting. Clean floors and walls, seats lining walls and numbered doors throughout each hall they passed. She had noticed a lack of people outside, which she though was a rather normal reaction to a building full of psychopaths, but once inside she saw a few people calmly waiting around, some even with kids which was rather horrifying. It still wasn't enough to lessen her unease, since she knew there were adults that were more than willing to do terrible things to kids. (She knew many of them were on the Isle, had seen their work before, but that can't be all of them, can it?)

She had been carefully blanking out the two women as they introduced themselves, since it wasn't like they really mattered in the long run. There was no need to go out of her way for two nobodies she would likely never see again. Mal had, however, been taking notice of the halls they passed through and the way the two nurses kept a careful eye on them. They weren't the only ones. Many of the people waiting in the halls reacted quite negatively to them passing by, and she doubted it was because of the nurses. There were glares tossed their way, nasty whispers passed around and a few flinches from anyone who noticed they had her attention. The further in they walked, the more she got the sense that she had been far more correct in her belief in Auradons hatred for them than Prince Ben might have her believe.

The stopped in an empty hallway, with seats lining the light blue wall opposite a door that one of the nurses quickly entered, leaving nurse number two to watch them. She seemed wary, her eyes flickering between them and the door for the minute they were left alone with her. Finally, after standing around in awkward silence, the door was opened again. This time two people came out, and her dread began building. She paid no notice to the nurse, her focus on the new woman.

She was wearing a white coat, over what looked like a clean and comfortable set of clothes. Her blond hair was pulled neatly out of her face with a bun, and the smile on her face reminded her of Prince Bens, far too genuine to be real. Her eyes flickered over the gathered group before settling on Mal, who had placed herself in front of the others as the obvious leader.

"My name is Doctor Samantha Jones, and I will be performing a basic check up on you today. If you guys have any questions feel free to ask." She stood in silence for a few seconds, looking at each of them, before moving on. "Great. Well then, we may as well get started. Just so you know, if at any point you feel uncomfortable, just tell me to stop."

That seemed unrealistic, Mal thought to herself, thoughts flashing back to her own experience with a doctor. Jones looked at the files she had in her arms, all four of them practically empty. "If you're okay with it, I'll do Mal first." She looked up and flashed a smile at Mal, which unsurprisingly was not helping the terror running through her veins. She needed to stay strong for her friends though, and she clenched her fists and began walking towards the door, reassured by the presence of her friends at her back.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay! Anyway, in this chapter you can see just how terrifying the idea of a doctor is on the Isle. I'm having Mal exaggerate it, since there aren't many of them and not all of them are necessarily that bad or insane. She is affected by terrible rumors and her own experiences though. The problem is that even the ones that want to help and know what they are doing, can hurt people because of lack of proper equipment and medicine and general bad hygiene.**

 **Not everyone on the Isle is a terrible person. Even people who committed crimes that weren't horrific were sent to the Isle, including average people. This will be brought up later. They also sent people like Cruella de Ville, insane and violent people who hurt others because they can and they want to. These are the types Mal pictures when thinking of doctors.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially FlatFox for your continuing comments. I'm really glad you enjoyed my writing, and I will definitely consider writing a one-shot with Carlos!**


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